Australia news live: bombshell allegations in Barilaro inquiry; Albanese convenes jobs summit to drive post-Covid reform

Woman who was initially offered NYC trade role says she was told job would be ‘a present for someone’

Jenny West, who was originally offered the New York City trade job that eventually went to former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro, has told an inquiry examining the appointment that she was told the job would be “a present for someone”.

West was originally offered the job on 12 August last year, only to have the offer rescinded a month later after a cabinet decision to make the job a “political appointment”.

In her opening statement to the inquiry, West described the offer, and retraction, as “a very disappointing episode in my life”.

West told the inquiry that on 14 October she had a meeting with Amy Brown, the chief executive of Investment NSW, in which she was told she would no longer be getting the job offer.

West said:

Ms Brown said the position, and this is a quote, ‘will be a present for someone’. She added, and I again quote, ‘you are an extraordinary performer and I am upset this has happened’.

She reads from notes she took at the meeting which state that Brown told her she would not be receiving the job after a meeting with the new minister, deputy Liberal party leader Stuart Ayres.

Ayres took over the portfolio after Barilaro’s resignation in early October.

West:

I was shocked. Jenny West speaks during the inquiry into the appointment of John Barilaro as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney, Monday, July 11, 2022. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated at 21.42 EDT

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South Australia records one Covid death and 284 people in hospital

There were 3,300 new cases in the last reporting period, and nine people are in intensive care.

Skywhale grounding – help on its way

Those following the saga of Skywhale will be heaving a sigh of relief to find out that the hot air balloon has been grounded and help is on the way.

The ABC is reporting that Skywhale is set to undergo repairs after developing a tear “in one of her breasts”.

The incident occurred in Ballarat where Skywhale and its partner, Skywhalepapa, were touring as part of the Every Heart Sings project.

Updated at 22.46 EDT

Covid outbreak on cruise ship docked in Brisbane

In a throwback to the early days of the pandemic, an outbreak of Covid-19 has been confirmed on a cruise ship docked in Brisbane.

Queensland health minister Yvette D’Ath confirmed the outbreak on the Coral Princess cruise ship, which is currently docked in Brisbane after returning from the state’s far north.

The cruise ship outbreak comes as Covid-19 cases are rising in Queensland with D’Ath saying the virus was “widespread” in the community.

Updated at 22.52 EDT

Western Australia records two deaths from Covid-19 with 282 people in hospital

There were 4,882 new cases in the last reporting period, and nine people are in intensive care.

The department noted that the two new deaths reported to WA Health yesterday but dated back to 5 July.

Albanese: we need better pathways to permanent migration

Albanese clarifies the jobs summit is “not a tax summit … this is a jobs and skills summit, which is very much focused on the need to have secure employment that’s focused on skills, that’s focused on future economic growth.”

When asked about the changes to the Migration Act that the government is considering, Albanese affirms the need for better pathways for permanent migration:

The government has inherited, along with its list of problems, a massive backlog in the visas. It is absurd at a time of skills shortages, there are people who have been waiting for such a long period of time.

We do have some short-term skills shortages that will always need to be filled by temporary migration. That will continue to play a role. But … we have a global labour market. We need to acknowledge that. And we need to make sure that we have better pathways as well to a permanent presence in Australia for people to give us the skills that they need.

Updated at 22.39 EDT

Albanese on enterprise bargaining, manufacturing and green energy

Albanese says he is concerned about how enterprise bargaining is currently working:

Quite clearly, it’s not working …as effectively as it could, and both players and unions are saying that. So where we can get cooperation, that’s a good thing. There was some progress made by the process that was set up by the former government, and then legislation appeared that didn’t reflect the discussions that had taken place. So we want, wherever possible, employers and unions to work together. They have a common interest and it’s called the national interest.

Albanese says he wants to see greater productivity as the need for Australia to be more self-sufficient is one of the lessons of the pandemic.

Manufacturing is very much a part of where we want Australia to go. We want a future made in Australia, more things to be made right here.

That’s one of the lessons of the pandemic is that we will remain vulnerable as long as we are at the end of the supply chains. Because we’ve seen across so many areas, even the war between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it’s having an impact on supply chains. We’re vulnerable.

Now, one of the things about new technology and its ubiquitous nature, is that the proportion of the costs of production that comes from labour is less now than it used to be. So whilst a production process might result in less employment per unit, that’s because of productivity benefits that are available.

What makes our future, I believe, very bright, if we just seize the opportunity is that clean energy is cheap energy. We have access, better than anywhere in the world. We are the best country in the world for solar. We’re one of the best for wind. We are developing areas like green hydrogen. We can make more things here, driven by that, with high value, high-skilled jobs being created. That’s part of the objective here. It’s one of the themes that we had in the election campaign and one we’ll continue with.

Updated at 22.10 EDT

Albanese on Pacific nations: ‘we’re determined to put the relationship back on track’

Albanese is asked whether he is worried that China is “hijacking” the Pacific Islands Nations forum, with the departure of one nation (Kiribati) already, and he responds by saying the government is determined to put the relationship with Pacific nations back on track.

He says ministers Wong and Conroy are leaving for the forum today.

This is an important meeting … It’s obvious that we had dropped the ball. The deal that occurred with Solomon Islands represents Australia not so much as having a step-up in the Pacific, as a stuff-up in the Pacific.

We’re determined to put the relationship back on track. We will be participating at ministerial level, and myself as prime minister, having bilaterals with a range of countries there on Wednesday and Thursday. Can I say this – the Fijian prime minister has done a wonderful job in trying to bring the Pacific island forum together.

There had been some division in the past from time to time. That will occur. It’s unfortunate the decision that Kiribati has made but we’ll continue to work constructively and we’ll have a concentration on the national security issue, but also our renewed commitment on climate change has meant that we’ll be received far better than if that had not occurred.

Updated at 22.04 EDT

Jim Chalmers: jobs summit to involve ‘whole government’

Treasurer Jim Chalmers says that the summit will be led by the prime minister and himself, but will involve “the whole government, the whole caucus.”

Individual ministers will be asked to lead particular work streams.

Minister Gallagher will coordinate work on the women’s labour market experiences.

Tony Burke will coordinate job security and wages, Clare O’Neil on migration.

Amanda Rishworth will coordinate work on barriers to employment.

Brendan O’Connor will coordinate work on skills and training.

And Ed Husic will focus on renewables, digital and manufacturing as well as the other industries where we have big opportunities before us.

Look, we believe by bringing people together to solve our big economic challenges in the near term, that’s the best way to grab the opportunities in our economy in the medium term as well .

Updated at 22.37 EDT

Albanese: productivity can boost growth without putting pressure on inflation

Albanese says “Jobs and Skills Australia” will drive employment changes to boost growth without putting pressure on inflation.

We will be creating Jobs and Skills Australia to drive those changes in the labour market and make sure that there’s better coordination and planning of development of skills so that Australians can fill those jobs. But we also need to have some real discussions about productivity and how we move it forward.

We know that the way that you boost growth without putting pressure on inflation is to ensure that productivity is the real focus. That’s a way to boost profits and boost wages whilst boosting the economy. And that productivity has been a forgotten element over recent years.

Albanese says that arising out of the summit, Treasury will develop a white paper.

I think that it will be a very successful meeting and I say in advance, there’s a lot of good will and a real enthusiasm from business groups such as the BCA, ACCI and the Australian Industry Group as well as from the ACTU, to ensure that we do have successful discussion and dialogue going forward.

I’ve said before that people have conflict fatigue. People want less argument and they want more solutions. My government is determined to deliver that.

Updated at 21.56 EDT

Albanese says jobs and skills summit to be held 1 and 2 September

Prime minister Anthony Albanese has begun the press conference, announcing more details about the jobs and skills summit:

Australia during Covid-19 faced a once in a generation challenge. But it opens up as well a once in a generation opportunity for how we grow back stronger from the Covid pandemic.

We also spoke during the campaign about bringing Australians together in order to secure that better future. And I foreshadowed at the National Press Club some time ago that we would hold a jobs and skills summit.

Today I announced that that jobs and skills summit will be held here at Parliament House in Canberra on September 1 and 2.

We intend to bring together business, unions, civil society groups, other levels of government, to discuss how, as we move forward, we can maximise, not just the benefit for the economy that comes with new industries, that comes with good jobs, [but] how we make sure that Australians can fulfil those jobs of the future.

Updated at 21.53 EDT

Victoria to move against workplace sexual harassment

The Victorian government will move to limit the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for dealing with incidents of workplace sexual harassment in a bid to stop survivors being silenced.

The Australian-first reform was recommended by a ministerial taskforce on workplace sexual harassment that has been released today, alongside the government’s response.

Victoria’s workplace safety minister, Ingrid Stitt, said the NDA recommendation would involve consultation with victim-survivors, unions and businesses before legislation was introduced to parliament. The government has also accepted the recommendation to treat sexual harassment as an occupational health and safety issue.

Stitt said the reforms would help employers understand they have occupational health and safety obligations to protect workers from sexual harassment:

A workplace that is not free from sexual harassment is not a safe workplace.

Updated at 21.45 EDT

Dubbo water alert remains

Dubbo mayor Mathew Dickerson says the boil water alert, which was issued Thursday morning last week, is still in place in the western NSW region.

Dickerson said the council has been working with NSW Health after the recent flooding caused problems with local water treatment, making drinking water unsafe.

Updated at 21.32 EDT

Queensland records no Covid-19 deaths but 782 people in hospital

There were 4,804 new cases in the last reporting period, and 10 people are in intensive care.

Updated at 21.17 EDT

PM and treasurer to hold press conference

Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers are due to front the media soon. I’ll bring you those updates as they come in.

Updated at 21.15 EDT

NSW floods easing

Authorities are confirming that flooding is no longer occurring at Singleton, site of major floods at the end of last week.

Updated at 21.13 EDT

Investment NSW chief executive sent celebratory text after job offer, Jenny West says

Amy Brown, the chief executive of Investment NSW, sent Jenny West a text message with a Statue of Liberty and champagne emoji when she was first told she had gotten the job.

The text included a photo of a signed brief from then premier Gladys Berejiklian confirming her appointment.

She wrote in the text: “This is one to frame”.

As I told you earlier, a month later the job offer was revoked and Brown told West that the job would be a “political appointment”.

We’ve heard that the submission to change the role to a political appointment was taken to cabinet by the then deputy premier, John Barilaro.

When that happened, Brown told West she would no longer be getting the job and that the role would be “a present for someone”.

West says:

I thought it was an unusual turn of phrase so I took note of it.

Updated at 21.08 EDT

Jason Roberts acquitted of murder of two Victorian police officers after nearly two decades in jail

Jason Roberts will walk free from prison after nearly two decades for the murders of two Victoria police officers after a fresh jury found him not guilty, AAP reports.

After a four-month trial in Victoria’s supreme court, jurors on Monday returned their not guilty verdict for the murders of sergeant Gary Silk and Senior Constable Rodney Miller.

Updated at 20.54 EDT

Woman who was initially offered NYC trade role says she was told job would be ‘a present for someone’

Jenny West, who was originally offered the New York City trade job that eventually went to former New South Wales deputy premier John Barilaro, has told an inquiry examining the appointment that she was told the job would be “a present for someone”.

West was originally offered the job on 12 August last year, only to have the offer rescinded a month later after a cabinet decision to make the job a “political appointment”.

In her opening statement to the inquiry, West described the offer, and retraction, as “a very disappointing episode in my life”.

West told the inquiry that on 14 October she had a meeting with Amy Brown, the chief executive of Investment NSW, in which she was told she would no longer be getting the job offer.

West said:

Ms Brown said the position, and this is a quote, ‘will be a present for someone’. She added, and I again quote, ‘you are an extraordinary performer and I am upset this has happened’.

She reads from notes she took at the meeting which state that Brown told her she would not be receiving the job after a meeting with the new minister, deputy Liberal party leader Stuart Ayres.

Ayres took over the portfolio after Barilaro’s resignation in early October.

West:

I was shocked. Jenny West speaks during the inquiry into the appointment of John Barilaro as Senior Trade and Investment Commissioner to the Americas at NSW Parliament House in Sydney, Monday, July 11, 2022. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Updated at 21.42 EDT